Ben & Zip: Two Short Friends

by Joanne Linden, Tom Goldsmith (Illustrations)

A tribute to friendship, boardwalks, and summer, this storybook tells of Ben and Zip, two best friends who will keep readers laughing, cheering, and guessing until the very end when they are reunited after a rainstorm.

Ben is short, but his best friend Zip is even shorter. One day while strolling along the boardwalk a summer shower blows in. There's a clap of thunder, and Zip runs off in fear. Ben pushes through the crowd to find Zip, but being so short, all Ben sees are knees. He climbs onto a bench, but now all he sees are bellies. He clambers onto a picnic table, and all he sees is hair. Ben is sure he'll glimpse Zip when he climbs to the highest point on the beach, the lifeguard stand, but Zip is nowhere to be found. Ben finally does find Zip-his best friend and dachshund-hiding out beneath the boardwalk, and the pair snuggle and munch on popcorn while the puddles dry and the beach-goers emerge from under the awnings. A unique lost-and-found tale with a surprise ending, brimming with lively illustrations, and filled with rhyming refrains that roll off the tongue, this storybook is a great read-aloud for kids of all sizes.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Animals, Childrens, Friendship, Summer, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

I was born in northern Minnesota near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a wilderness that borders Canada. Throughout my life, I've always chosen to live close to nature. Today I live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on a wooded acre. I love to read, write, and paint. But hanging out at our northern lake cottage with my husband and Auggie, our wonderful Scottie, is what I like best of all! We have 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren who all love books. You can learn more about me at www.joanne-linden.com and connect with me on Facebook

Reviews

[Kelly Bolduc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben has lost his best friend at the boardwalk! He searches high and low for his buddy as a storm rolls in but just can't seem to spot him. Suddenly Ben realizes there is only one place Zip must be, Wally's Popcorn Wagon! He rushes to find his friend, but will Zip be there?

[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben is a typical kid on a typical boardwalk with his parents and his best friend, Zip. This would be great as a read aloud because all the kids can help look for Zip. In fact, the reader will be driven to go back to the beginning and find all the places Ben, Zip, and each of his parents appear.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was genuinely surprised by the ending - love it when that happens. Also love that Ben's parents are never too far behind (so the mom in me can stop asking "where are the parents?!" and just enjoy the story)

[pati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zip was not who I expected Zip to be - I was pleasantly surprised to 'meet' him at the conclusion of this book - great artwork and very fun story!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben & Zip: Two Short Friends by Joanne Linden - A sweet friendship story! Happy Reading!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben and Zip are two short friends separated on a busy day at the beach. Text follows a great read aloud pattern with a surprise ending. At first all Ben sees is knees, then bellies, then hair. A happy ending reunites the duo just in time to enjoy the beach atmosphere together.

India ink and watercolor illustrations. My only issue was with the font used for the text. It was way too formal and a little awkward to read. It was enough of a problem that I thought about it as I was reading the story for plot. Besides that, it's a great read aloud for PreK-2.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story for young children because it is short, rhymes, and is simple. It has a small challenge that is remedied by the end of the story and everyone is happy. An interesting addition is the fact that all walks of life are represented in the illustrations.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a boy and his dog that have one thing in common. They're short. A real challenge when you are trying to find each other in a crowd of knees and bellies. In the end they find a way to reunite.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tribute to friendship, boardwalks, and summer, this storybook tells of Ben and Zip, two best friends who will keep readers laughing, cheering, and guessing until the very end when they are reunited after a rainstorm.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

You start reading this book with some assumptions about who exactly the two short friends are and end up where you don't expect.

I loved how Ben describes knees, hair, and tummies in his search for his friend along the beach boardwalk.

Great illustrations.

[Clyde Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute book about sudden storms at the beach....and review of body parts for Kinders: "Buty all he saw was: right knees, left knees, knees with sandy patches. Fat knees, bony knees, knees with bumps and scratches." It also has rhymes.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not a bad book, but the story even for a kids picture book, is a little weak. I will update this review when I have a chance to try it out on my own set of critics.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

unique font, but slightly hard to read. cute story that sometimes rhymes, sometimes doesn't. highlights how all humans are slightly different.

[Ghislaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

K-1st List -

[Flashlight Press]

A wonderful story about a boy and the search for his missing dog.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but I wasn't sure who Zip was until Ben found him at the end. I don't think "short" needed to be in the title either, as it was nowhere in the book.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, unpredictable ending. Repetition helps build suspense. Cute illustrations show life at the beach and on the boardwalk.

[Kristy Isla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about a boy and his dog.

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute friendship story that mixes prose and rhyme. I admit I like the text much better than the art--not my taste.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kid-friendly illustrations but the story is too chaotic once the storm hits.